Method and device for forming an essentially flat metal blank to produce a thin-walled, shell-type body, and the use of same

US7644600B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• MT Aerospace AG · DE

Inventors

• Helmut Michel · Hannover, DE
• Wulf Radtke · Planegg, DE
• Johannes Hegels · Munich, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 15, 2008
• Grant date: Jan 12, 2010
• Expiry date: Oct 15, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B21D22/185
• WIPO field: Machine tools
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

The invention relates to a vacuum-assisted method and a device for forming an essentially flat blank (12) of metal into a thin-walled, shell-type body (14), especially for performing the method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, that has a supporting structure (16) forming a mold chamber (18) that holds the blank (12) during increasing deformation into the thin-walled, shell-body (14), a device (20) allocated to the supporting structure (16) for clamping the blank (12) about its circumference (22) to the supporting structure (16), that seals the reverse face (24) of the blank (12) facing towards the mold chamber (18) against the front face (26) of the blank (12) facing away from the mold chamber (18), and a device (28) allocated to the mold chamber (18) that also communicates with the mold chamber (18) for applying a vacuum and evacuating the mold chamber (18), and at least one forming tool (50) applied to the front face (26) of the blank (12) is/are allocated to the supporting structure (16), and the use of same.